Corona skips preliminary probe on tax evasion case
-A A +ATuesday, September 25, 2012
MANILA -- Former Chief Justice Renato Corona was absent on Tuesday's hearing called by the Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding the P150-million tax evasion case filed against him and two relatives last month.
This developed after his lawyer Reinard Sanchez asked the three-man investigating panel headed by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Roseanne Balauag to give Corona enough time to submit a counter affidavit.
As a result, the hearing was reset to October 5 at 10 a.m. as the prosecutors ordered Corona and co-accused, spouses Carla and Constantino Castillo III to appear on that day. Failure to attend means the case will be submitted for resolution, the panel said.
According to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Corona deliberately failed to pay P120.5 million in taxes as a result of his acquisition of pricey condominium units and a house during his 10-year stint at the Supreme Court.
Corona's daughter Carla was also charged for violating section 254 of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) or attempting to evade or defeat taxes in 2010 and violating section 255 or failing to file an income tax return for the same year.
Her husband Constantino is likewise cited for evading taxes in 2003 and 2009 and failing to file an ITR in 2003. Both have an accumulated income of less than P3 million yet they were able to buy P43.5-million worth of properties in Quezon City.
The couple's tax liabilities are estimated at P30 million. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)
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